NASS committee begs China to help Nigeria in rescue of abducted train passengers

The National Assembly has pleaded with the Chinese government to assist Nigeria in securing the release of the over 60 passengers who were abducted by terrorists who attacked a Kaduna-bound train from Abuja on March 28.

The plea was made by the Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee on Land Transportation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, on Wednesday during an oversight visit to the Obafemi Awolowo Train Station in Ibadan, Oyo State.Buhari who spoke on behalf of the Committee said since it was the Chinese who supplied Nigeria with the trains and built the railways and other train infrastructure, they could also help Nigeria in rescuing the victims who have been in captivity for over 45 days since their abduction.

Buhari said there was nothing wrong or shameful in asking the Chinese government to come to the aid of Nigeria to rescue the victims since it was actively involved in railway projects in Nigeria.

“The Chinese government makes money from the many rail projects that are being handled by CCECC in Nigeria, so asking them to help us is not out of place,” the Committee Chairman said.

“Nigerians are no longer ready to listen to the number of passengers that have been carried by the trains since they were commissioned.

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“Nigerians are not interested in what has been put in the various stations by the CCECC. What we want to hear now is the effort being put into rescuing those people in captivity.

“If a Chinese national was among those people abducted, we know that the Chinese government would have come to rescue him.

“I remember when an American was kidnapped, the Americans came and took him away from where he was held captive. We know that with the level of technology that the Chinese have, even without leaving Beijing, they can help us track where these people are, or even give us enough intelligence that would aid their rescue.”

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